ANDROID

Smart Communications with be launching its new LTE Broadband service on August 25, 2012. The deal is 10 GB's of data at a blistering 42 Mbps for Php3,500 a month.

Talking about this with a few friends last night, it seemed that no one is happy with the 10 GB data cap. I think this is in part because people do not know how much data they download per day. On my typical day, I consume 100 MB of data or less. Given the occasional download of a Android ROM (90-450 MB), a Linux Distribution (500-700MB) and software updates for my Mac, I could probably hit 5 GB on some months. Still, that is a whole lost less than 10 GB. Unless you spend most of your internet time, streaming HD video or downloading movies, it is pretty hard to consume 10 GB a month.Of couse with a 42 Mbps connection, I am likely to use more, since things which I are not too much fun to do on my 1 Mbps connection, might become more enjoyable at 42 Mbps.

Still, I have no issue with a 10 GB cap. It will be like the 1.5 GB cap on our smartphones on Smart Data Plan 2000, where Smart can reduce our speeds if we exceed the. In 18 months, as far as I can tell I never exceeded the cap. With the three the Smartphones on Data Plan 2000, none of them went past 1 GB last month, one phone nearly used 1 GB, with the other two using 704 MB and 416 MB, respectively.

I do have some issue with the cost. One of the three Data Plan 2000 phones is for my personal use. I pay Php1,200 a month for the data aspect of the plan. I also maintain a 1 Mbps Globe DSL connection at home, shared among four personal computers at the cost of Php999 a month. Lastly, when I need to use a laptop on the road, I use a SmartBro USB modem, and spend Php400 to 800 on that a month. Basically, a unlimited smartphone data plan, a residential DSL connection and a prepaid mobile internet connection all comes out to Php2,519 to Php2,919 a month.

The Php3,500 monthly fee for a mobile broadband connection is more than I am willing to pay. The new LTE plan wont replace my smarthphone data plan and our residential DSL.

Still, I will wait till the 25th and hope there are other options there are. I am not sure if Smart will offer a prepaid LTE plan. I could replace my four year old USB modem with a new faster unit.